Partners enter carbon capture and utilisation collaboration

WOODSIDE, LanzaTech, and ReCarbon have announced that they are collaborating on a carbon capture and utilisation (CCU) programme, which includes the possibility of a CCU pilot facility in Perth, Australia.

The proposed pilot would capture CO2 and methane and convert them into products such as ethanol. The proprietary ReCarbon microwave plasma technology can convert CO2 and methane into syngas, which can then be converted to ethanol using LanzaTech’s technology. The project is now at the front-end engineering design phase.

Jennifer Holmgren, CEO of LanzaTech, said: “Waste carbon can be transformed into critical resources like ethanol without adding CO2 to the atmosphere. Together with Woodside and ReCarbon, we can create an opportunity to reuse greenhouse gases for meaningful applications.”

Meg O’Neill, CEO of Woodside, said: “What’s notable about CCU is the wider co-benefits. Some end products have a further decarbonisation benefit. Products such as ethanol can be used as raw materials in the chemical manufacturing industry.

“We also see a potential role for the technology in helping to abate some of our Scope 1 and 2 emissions.”